MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go personally led the launch of the country’s 160th Malasakit Center at the Davao Occidental General Hospital in Malita town on Friday.
In a speech, Go said that Malasakit centers intend to serve all Filipinos as no one should be left behind, especially in times of medical need.
“The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop. It’s a law that I pushed when I become senator. It is for poor and indigent patients. It’s for Filipinos,” Go, chair of the Senate committee on health and demography and father of Malasakit Centers, said.
The Malasakit Center brings together representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
This one-stop-shop helps reduce the hospital bills of poor patients to the least possible amount.
“Every Filipino is qualified to avail themselves of the services being offered by the Malasakit Center. Everyone deserves to be served because it is financed by the people’s money, which should be returned to them through speedy, orderly and reliable services and assistance from the government, especially when it comes to health,” Go said.
Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act 11463, or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the Malasakit Center program.
The newly opened Malasakit Center is the first in Davao Occidental.
Go lauded the DOH led by Secretary Ted Herbosa as well as local officials including Reps. Claude Bautista and Claudine Lim, Gov. Franklin Bautista, ABC President Bianca Bautista-Navarra and Vice Gov. Lorna Bandigan for helping improve the healthcare service in the province.